CHAP. XIV.
Of the Duties of a Prince relative to his Military Force.
Princes ought, therefore, to make the art of iwar their sole study and occupation, for it is peculiarly the science of those who govern. By it he maintains himself in possession of his dominions; and by it also private individuals are sometimes raised to supreme authority, whilst we frequently see princes shamefully reduced to nothing, by suffering themselves to be enfeebled by slothful inactivity. I repeat it, that it is owing to a neglect of this art, that states are lost, and it is by cultivating it they are conquered.
Francis Sforza from a private individual becamę Duke of Milan, because he had an army at his disposal, and his children, who were dukes, by a deviation from this rule, were reduced to private individuals. It is not surprising, for in the first place there is nothing so likely to lose the consideration which a prince enjoys, as not to be at the head of his troops; and that which a prince should most particularly guard against is, as I shall hereafter prove, the danger of becoming contemptible. We cannot establish a comparison between men who are armed, and those who are not so: and it would be equally absurd to suppose that the disarmed should command, and the others obey. A prince who is ignorant of the art of war, can never enjoy repose or safety amongst armed subjects; those will always despise him, and will justly be suspected by him; how is it possible then they should act in concert? In short, a prince who does not understand the art of war can never be esteemed by his troops, nor can he ever confide in them.
There is a necessity therefore that princes should pay their whole attention to the art of war, which includes mental labour and study as well as the military exercise. To begin with the latter, the prince should take the utmost care that his troops be well disciplined, and regularly exercised. The chase is the best adapted to inure him to fatigue, and to all the intemperances of the weather. This exercise will also teach him to observe the sources and situations, as well as the nature of rivers and marshes; to measure the extent of plains, and the declivity of mountains. By these means he will acquire a knowledge of the topography of a country which he has to defend, and will easily habituate himself to select the places where war may be best carried on. For the plain and vallies of Tuscany, for instance, resemble more or less those of other countries. I have said thus much of rivers and marshes, because the study of one country leads to the knowledge of others.
Now this study is eertainly most useful to those who command armies. A general who neglects it will never know where to look for an enemy, nor how to conduct his troops, nor to encamp, nor at the proper time to attack. The Greek and Roman historians deservedly praised Philopomenes Prince of Achaia for his application to the study of war in time of peace. He would in his travels stop and ask his friends, which of two armies would have the advantage, that posted on such or such a hill, and the other in such a particular place? How this, which he would suppose to be commanded by himself, should join and give battle to the other? What steps he ought to take to secure a retreat, or to pursue the enemy, should he retire? He thus proposed to them all the cases which might happen in war, listened attentively to their opinion, gave his own, with the reasons on which it was founded. By these means he was seldom surprised by unforeseen events.
As to that part of military science which is learned in the closet, a prince ought to read history, and to pay particular attention to the achievements of great generals, and the causes of their victories and defeats; but above all he should follow the example of those great men, who, having proposed themselves a model, resolved to tread in his steps. It was thus that Alexander the Great immortalized himself by following the example of Achilles; Cæsar by imitating Alexander; and Scipio, Cyrus. If we take the trouble to compare the life of the latter Roman with that of Cyrus, as written by Xenophon, we shall see that Scipio was like his model, generous, affable, humane, and continent.
It is thus a wise prince should conduct himself, and so employ his time during peace, that if Fortune should change, he may bę prepared equally for her frowns or her favours.